More Regular than Regular
by XToxicX
Summary: Days in Gravity Falls, no matter how weird, were just regular days in Gravity Falls. It didn't matter how much danger, odd happenings, or struggles went on-it was always regular. The following days, or coming weeks, for Dipper and Mabel turn out to be a lot more regular than usual when they come across a homeless blue hedgehog and his friends.
1. Every Story Needs a Beginning

It was a pretty good day. The sun was shining, the clouds were fluffy and white, and the gnomes were searching for a new queen. Well… their way of 'searching'. And by that, I meant armed with rope and wooden pins. I just felt sorry for whoever they were looking for now…

But yeah… that was… expected here. I never really considered it out of the ordinary now. I guess when you've faced zombies, 'yandere' pixels (as Soos says…), shapeshifters, and… you know, just weird things in general, it's always just a regular day in Gravity Falls. Nothing's normal, apart from Tad Strange, of course… I mean, come on, he's like the most normal guy around.

But hey, I guess it's down to opinion, really. It helps to keep an open mind, when that isn't dangerous and a looming threat to society's greatest ones. It isn't that now, of course, but it doesn't hurt to remember that fact. At least… when you don't get super paranoid about it. That's definitely not me. Nu-uh. Nope. Certainly not.

Oh, er… I think I forgot something very important. I'm, uh… Dipper. Yes, yes, I knew that; of course I know my name, it was just the introductory bit and… never mind. I needed to get that out of the way…

Onto the real stuff though…

I vacation in Gravity Falls on a yearly basis. The first time we both came here, well… we weren't so ecstatic about it, but we've been through so much that it's kinda hard not to let this place grow on you. Especially its inhabitants and visitors. They're… really the best thing about it to me. We might have done a ton of epic things, but the most important thing is family. I know that sounds super cheesy, but trust me, it's true.

We've… been told it's wrong to believe in them. That you should trust no one. That… didn't help anyone. We were the most powerful united, so… trust turned out to be the strongest weapon of all. It's funny, really… but maybe it's because the person who'd written that advice was so isolated and alone from everyone else…

…Ah! I've done it again! Referring to people you guys don't even know about.

Okay. Well… I have a sister, called Mabel. She's… energetic, but she's one of the closest people to me. She's the person I've spent a majority of my adventures with. Sometimes, we fight, sure, but we're brother and sister… and those always make up, right? Reality's tried to rip us apart before, massive bubbles and evil triangles, but they all failed.

"Hey! Dipper, you daydreamer! I'm asking you a question!"

"…huh?"

Mabel's sat next to me on the bus, grinning widely and showing off her braces with that beam. Her hands are settled in her lap, and she's wearing a blue sweater with a star on it. Her legs are kicking against the back of the bus under the seat, seemingly imaginative.

"I said, do ya' have anything planned for when we go back?"

I'd… not actually thought about that. I mean, yeah, obviously, I dreamt of going back… Gravity Falls was like our home away from home, maybe even more than that, but… I'd not actually planned anything for when we actually _got_ back.

"Not… really, Mabel. I guess I was hoping to improvise."

"Improvise, huh… hey! We could go have a waffle-sticking contest! It's like eating the waffles, but not really!" Mabel grinned widely, her eyes gleaming with inspiration. Her eyes looked at me hopefully, and I looked away with an awkward smile.

Yeah, this randomness was my sister. But our family loved her for it. Always so happy and cheerful, and… with her around, it really _felt_ you could take on anything. And I could. With Mabel, I, yes, definitely, absolutely, could take on anything.

"Maybe," I responded, chuckling at my sibling with a growing smile. I'd been listening to her ideas the whole ride, but… now that we were nearing the Mystery Shack, well... I was eager to start the summer.

"Or MAYYYYYBE we could go visit Wendy." Her expression was… sly, definitely more than slightly suggestive.

I stiffened at that, and then glanced away impishly.

"Y-yeah, we could do that. Maybe."

"Awwww, c'mon, Dipper—just kidding!" Mabel snickered, playfully elbowing me.

Wendy… well, I… kinda had a thing for her. Maybe I still do now, but—no! It's as a friend… See, she's really cool and all, but… we discussed it before. It wouldn't work… she's older than me… and even if this was some fantasy world, I probably wouldn't take the chance of being with her… it'd just… feel weird, you know? Not that her doppelganger didn't melt into a blackness of leech-things right in front of me…

"Look at you, all red! JUUUUUST I thought you were over her, Dipper!" my sister commented, looming over me with a wide smile. She pinched at my cheeks, and I pulled away instinctively.

"Ow! M-Mabel!"

"Ah, young love—so beautiful, cute, and demanding of specific characteristics," Mabel sighed, smiling and lying back against the bus seat. She'd left me alone, thus, I rubbed my cheek.

At that, my sibling frowned, and I knew I had to change the subject for her. Her last summer romances… though obviously friendzoned by now, didn't go so well…

"Hey, u-uh… so… Mabel. Apart from the waffles thing, and the water balloon catapults, what else should we do this summer?"

"Gee, that's a big question," Mabel responded innocently, perking up again. "Everything!"

"E-everything?" I asked, looking slightly confused… one half of that expression didn't want to know, nor question her.

Mabel's ideas were always outside of the box. Unique, and she just had this element that… well, made everything a lot more fun than it was meant to be.

"Yep! Even burying the dead!"

"…what?" I blinked at her, looking slightly unnerved. I know our adventures involved the supernatural, but… "…oh! You mean the rebellious dead, right?"

"Duh! The funeral directors have the non-rebellious dead sorted out already!" Mabel replied, giggling.

"The people who are way too comfortable with the job…?"

"Let them be; they're spirits of true happiness and purity!"

"…not sure how to respond to that." I looked at my sister with a fond expression.

Outside of this vacation, even if we were together most of the time, we hardly got to talk about what we'd done and will do at the strange little town of Gravity Falls.

"…huh. There's a blue spiky thing on the side of the road."

This summer we'd be able to gain that time again, and, really, I couldn't wait for it. I even missed the weird conversations, not that I didn't hear bits of them every day. I—…what?

"…Mabel, what did you say?"

"I just said we drove past a blue thing."

"What?"

"That!"

Mabel stood up in her seat, pointing through the back glass window. I blinked, shuffled, and looked where I thought she'd pointed.

There… was a blue thing.

It was a spray paint canister.

"Mabel, I don't see—"

"Next to it, doofus!" Mabel pointed, lifting her hand again.

The moment I saw that creature, lying unconscious next to the road, my eyes glinted with the longing I'd had for the adventure we'd had the last season we came here. It… wasn't sadistic at all, don't get the wrong idea. There were so many things my uncle might not have covered in these journals! Discovering more things, before we'd even gotten to the Mystery Shack, could really impre—help Uncle Stanford!

"…Hey, driver!" My voice hollered, looking back to the front. "Could we stop the bus?"

"Sorry, kids, you have to wait until we get to the next stop sign."

My frown became evident to Mabel, and she too felt anxious.

"That poor blue unicorn…"

"I thought you hated unicorns now."

"Shhh! It's a love/hate relationship," she whispered hoarsely, her finger on her lips. "They're too adorable to hate, but they're also massive jerks."

"That said, I don't think it's a unicorn… too many spikes…"

"That could just be its mane!" my sister responded hopefully. "I'm glad the first thing we saw here was a possibly-dislocated unicorn!"

I sighed, and then looked to the front.

"…we've stopped," I observed. And so shortly after that guy had said… now that I think about it, we weren't too far away from the supposed 'unicorn' either. "That didn't take long."

"C'mon! Let's go snag us a unicorn!" Mabel grinned widely. She jumped off her seat and ran down the centre of the bus, and sighed irritably.

"Mabel! Wait! Our stuff! Don't make me…"

She was gone so instantly. I guess she was just as eager as I was. I'm glad, though… I wasn't the only one who missed this life.

"…carry all of this." I pouted, watching her high-tail it back to the blue thing, and I looked down at the mass amount of bags at my feet.

I'm pretty sure a lot of these had Mabel's 'treasure' inside… Hardly any of it felt like clothes. I sighed and started making myself useful, picking up the bags and lugging them across the bus floor. With a little difficulty, I managed to get them to the door, and glanced over my shoulder to see the driver boredly waiting, watching the road.

Well, he _could_ have helped me a little…

But I didn't bother giving him a remark about that.

"Hey, sport. How's it going?"

"…AHHH!"

I jumped out of my shoes, then glanced to see a red-haired female smiling warmly at me. Still wearing the same checker shirt and jeans… I tensed up.

It had been such a long time… I didn't know what to do or say. I knew nothing big was to come of this… so, I guess I took it like a man and acted… well, natural. Like a man. Heh.

"Oh, er, hey, Wendy," I responded casually, secretly trying to stable myself inside. "How're you?"

"Watching a _technical_ teenager struggle with bags, but I'm okay," she responded with a playful smirk. "Do you need help, Dipper?"

"I'm okay!"

…at that very moment, the weight on my left arm, from the rucksacks, the arm straps, and the teddies sent me toppling to the ground.

"…or so I thought," I sighed.

Wendy laughed, then bent over to help me. She held out her hand, and hesitantly, I took it. I regained myself, and dusted the dirt off my clothes.

"Thanks."

"No sweat, bro. Now let's get this to the shack."

"Oh, you don't need to—"

"Your arms are going to fall off if you carry all of this," Wendy responded, shaking her head with a smile. "Stop trying to be tough, man. It's okay. It's a vacation. And what do you do on vacations?"

"…Relax," I responded sheepishly, though with a slightly exhausted tone of voice.

Wendy started picking up my bags, and I watched her as she did so.

I smiled, reminiscent of the past. Really, Wendy was one of my best friends around here… despite our age gap, we got along really well. Me and Mabel even hung around with her and her friends, too… It was great.

"Hey, Dipper! Come on! Said I was going to help, but you're not making me do _all_ the work, _right?"_

"…! Ah! I'm sorry!" I apologized quickly. Wendy was already walking down the path to the Mystery Shack. I started picking up the rest of mine and Mabel's belongings quickly, and then started after her. Speaking of Mabel…

I made a note to get to her immediately after I'd gotten everything inside. Hopefully nothing would happen…

"That was a _very_ casual greeting, Dipper," Wendy remarked, looking at him with a smile. "You know, I'd think you didn't remember me until you came back."

"Ah, well… I thought about you… sometimes…" I muttered under my breath. "…! Ah, I mean, not in the creepy way! I just couldn't wait for the summer to see you guys again—Soos, Uncle Stan and Stanford, and—!"

"Dude, it's fine," Wendy replied, chuckling to herself. "Even though you're a teenager now, well, it's good to see you're still yourself."

"Y-yeah, I guess…" I laughed nervously, looking away.

A beaten up shack came into the view… well, the usual beaten-up old shack. Of course, it must have been patched up… with Soos taking care of it, especially. That guy could fix anything…

When we reached the front porch, I settled the belongings down. I immediately turned to run away from the shack, back the way I came, but Wendy's voice stopped me.

"Off somewhere already?"

"I need to go get Mabel. We kinda saw something, so I have to make sure it isn't lethal as all heck," I told her assertively.

"Okay then… just make sure you get back alive, all right?" my friend joked, smiling down at me. I smiled back and nodded awkwardly, before running to the road where the stop sign was.

The bus was long gone now. Good thing, I guess. You don't get many passengers from this spot outside of the Shack's opening hours…

"Okay, time to find Mabel…"

I turned back, then looked down the road, before sprinting down it, towards where I recalled spotting the creature. Hopefully it wasn't dangerous…

"Dipper!"

I heard a yelp, a panicked one, and my instincts forced me to run faster.

"Mabel! What's wrong?!"

"…it's so CUTE!"

"…huh?"

I stopped a little away from her, where I could see her and the creature clearly.

"I've been trying to wake it up. Shaking it, yelling at it, using Wake-Up Smack on it, but nothing's working." Mabel frowned.

There was a noticeable red mark on the creature's cheek, and at that, I sighed. Poor guy… whatever he was… if he… was a guy…

I walked over and inspected the creature.

It was something a little taller than us in stature. Had a tanned muzzle, chest, and arms… It was blue in colour, and it was wearing red and white shoes, and gloves… It had spikey hair, too… or… quills…?

"…Is this a hedgehog, Mabel?"

"You tell me, journal guy. I've never seen a thing like this ever in my life, but it's so cute!"

"Mabel… we see a lot of things."

"I know, but not, SPECIFICALLY, this thing!"

"I don't remember it being mentioned in the journal…" I frowned. I really didn't, and I'd memorized what I could of the journals last year… "Not through any sketches or descriptions, anyways… Maybe we could start a new one with an entry on this!"

I brightened, suddenly cheerful and excited.

"Uncle Stanford will love this!"

"Awww, look at you with your little senpai act." Mabel giggled.

"…what?"

"Never mind!"

"But anyway… how do we help this guy?"

I noticed, then, that the creature in front of my sister was twitching… its eyes were, anyway…

"… **you two… hah… you two could help me… sure, suuuuurrreee… SO LEND A HAND AND HELP ME ALREADY!"**

"What the…?!"

"Mabel, get back!"

Mabel jumped back at the suddenly loud voice, and looked down at the creature with wide eyes.

That voice was… new… but… it sounded weird… But regardless, that tone was violent… angry…

"…"

Suddenly, the creature was silent again. There was a small breath, a tired one, coming from it.

"…Mabel, did you see that…?"

"Ye-yeah…" Mabel shook slightly. "I hope this unicorn isn't scary all the time…"

"…ugh… what…"

Its eyes slowly twitched open, and its blurred vision caught us.

"…oh… hey… there… k-kids…" the blue creature smiled, its weak eyes trained on us. "Don't… m-mind… m-me… got a little scratch… I-I'll be… f-fi…"

Suddenly, its head hit the ground, and I stared as it fell lifeless again. I was speechless, until I decided we should—

"Dipper, we need to get it back to the Mystery Shack!"

Interruption…

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?"

"Mystery SHACK!"


	2. And That Was the Beginning

I didn't really imagine the first few minutes of my summer here involving manual labour. But in a way, I guess I kinda expected it.

"Faster, Dipper!"

"I'm trying, okay? This guy's heavy!" I defended quickly, but in a strained manner. I glanced at the face beside me, which remained unconscious and unreachable.

We'd had no choice but to carry, and by that, I mean drag, the creature towards the Mystery Shack. He was quite heavy for us, I mean, as much as a three foot being could be, but we'd manage it... I hoped, anyway. We had to prop his arms around our shoulders... I still think we should have called for help rather than doing it ourselves. Sure, it was better this way since we could show off how independent we were, and considering the urgency of the situation, but heck... he really was heavy. I wasn't sure how long I could hold him for...

Thankfully, the front porch of the Mystery Shack came up a lot quicker than I'd anticipated... guess it's a psychological thing. It felt like such a long time, but it really wasn't. I'm glad, because my body was hurting now, and we hadn't even started helping out.

Forcing my hand to the door knob, I twisted it, seeing through the entrance to the Mystery Shack-and then, I marvelled...

It had been such a long time. I mean, we used to play in here just last summer... And it hadn't changed a bit! At that, I was kinda happy. It was like turning back time, pretending our weird adventures started all over again. It was a funny thought.

Wendy was stood at the counter, and she waved at me with a smile, not immediately spotting the hedgehog in our hands.

"Hey, Dipper, I put your things-"

"Alright, let's get him to the living room!" Mabel pressed in interruption, leading the way per usual... which I wish she wouldn't; my shoulder was killing me a lot more now. But... It was one of her traits to be so considerate, and the fact this was for an animal... well, it didn't surprise me.

"Got it!" I obeyed immediately, striding quickly in attempt to keep up with her. "Oh, and thanks, Wendy! We'll talk later, okay?"

"Sure..." Wendy blinked.

Both of our expressions that of determination, we opened another door, making our way to the area where we often watched Duck-tective marathons... It was a pretty good show... We often got together just to watch it, popcorn, drinks, snacks, and all. Those were usually the evenings I looked forward to when we weren't saving the town.

Stumbling into the room, we looked to see the one thing we might be able to prop the unconscious creature on. A worn armchair, the one Uncle Stan used to always sit in...

Uncle Stan, or Grunkle Stan we sometimes called him, was... yeah, our uncle. He might have seemed a little... shifty, sure, but he meant well, I guess... There was a whole mix-up earlier... We thought he was called Stanford, but... as it turns out, that was actually his brother. Our uncle's real name is Stanley.

He'd gone on a world-wide trip with uncle Stanford, looking at anomalies, weird monsters, and strange things like that. You know, things out of the ordinary. We hadn't seen him yet, and he usually lurked somewhere in this place, so I guess he was busy with something. I knew better than to bother him. But even so, maybe he wasn't back yet.

I was pretty sure Soos would be around somewhere, though...

Soos used to be the caretaker. Heck, he still might be. But last year, uncle Stan gave him the Mystery Shack. I've no doubt he's looked after the place. Soos... really valued this place. He wouldn't let it go to ruin, especially since he sorta idolises our uncle. I can remember it, how happy he was when he'd been given the place...

Lugging the blue animal to the seat, we set him down on it, then stood back, both breathing sighs of relief.

"Man, is he heavy..." I commented, straightening my pine tree hat and jacket.

"He is... BUT! The Mystery Twins succeeded!" Mabel, with her ever-burning optimism, replied, grinning widely and ignoring the probable pain in her own limbs.

"That's true..." I chuckled lightly. I glanced at Mabel with a questionable expression, then bit my lip. "...What do we do with him?"

"Keep him!" Mabel grinned widely. She leaned over the creature, her hair falling over her ears. "We gotta make you a bed, little guy! We'll make sure there's loads of sparkles!"

"Mabel," I dragged, furrowing my brow. "He could be seriously hurt!"

"Well... He woke up for a split second, so maybe it's not as bad as we think?" Mabel shrugged, straightening, then looked thoughtful. "Maybe he's just really tired. I mean, remember when you were sleep-deprived?"

"Y-yeah, but what if he hit his head or something?" I reasoned, folding my arms. I then had another thought, and felt dread at the glimpse of it. "Or some guilt-less jerk ran him over, then dumped him at the side of the road?"

"Awww, silly, who would do that to such an adorable little monster?" Mabel asked chipperly, beaming happily as if no one would.

"Someone definitely in this world, Mabel," my sad voice remarked. People, well, SOME people... they would do something like that... Do something, and then run away from it, hide from it...

"Stop being so pessimistic, Dipper!" Mabel huffed. "I'm sure he'll be okay! I mean, look, there's no injuries on him! No blood or anything!"

At that, I paused. I stared at the still form in the chair, hard, and then looked even more perplexed.

The blue thing's chest rose and fell slowly, in a rhythmic fashion. Just normal breathing. And there wasn't a spot on him...

This didn't make any sense... How else could he be out cold? He sounded so weak after that... outburst, whatever that was...

But that outburst... Why did he sound so irritated? So angry and upset? Especially with us?

Sure, suuuuuuuureeee...

I mean, there was that tone of sarcasm!

And... If he was so weak...

Maybe he really was tired, just like Mabel said. Maybe I was over thinking it. I'd over thought things before... but the issue was, sometimes I turned out to be right all along.

"We'd better leave the little guy to rest," Mabel suggested, turning around. "C'mon, Dipper! Let's go unpack!"

"Y-yeah..." I muttered.

I wasn't certain of myself. Heck, I was a teenager now, and I guess you still have old habits you can't kick. Back in the other season, I had instinct, and I usually wanted to stick by it... but I'd overlook something, or jump to a conclusion too quickly, and, as soon as that happened, I'd doubt everything I'd believed in up to that point. It was frustrating.

* * *

"I wonder if Waddles got here safe!" Mabel exclaimed with bright eyes.

Waddles was Mabel's pig. Round, plump, pink. She spent a lot of time with it, and I mean a lot. The pair of them were the best of friends... whether the pig acknowledged it or not, I guess. Mabel loved him. I remember the day she got him. It was full of countless retries of the day (which consisted of me trying not to unintentionally hurl balls at Wendy's eye), and when I'd gotten the perfect one... after Mabel wasted her day helping me... she'd lost Waddles to a rich girl called Pacifica.

Guess where that left me.

Well... I decided Mabel's happiness was more important than my own. And I'm not sure that pig would have been too happy with Pacifica's family... So I took it all back, for her.

"Waddles will probably be fine," I responded, looking at her with an optimistic expression. "Given he's here, of course..."

"Hey! Dudes!"

"...?"

I turned my head, just as me and Mabel were about to head upstairs. A smile stretched across my face.

"Soos!"

There he was. Our shack's new keeper. He was wearing our uncle Stan's old suit and fez. The eye patch was probably hanging around somewhere...

"You guys made it!" Soos stated, seeming quite happy to see us.

I couldn't help but look the same. Soos was cool. That was the word for it.

"Yeah, we did," I replied, gaining a gleeful expression. "How have things been around the Mystery Shack, Soos?"

"Oh, oh, great!" he responded proudly, his hands on his hips. "The place has been busy as ever!"

"Of course it has!" Mabel chirped, grinning widely. "I mean, with someone as amazing as you running it! I'm sure Uncle Stan will be dead proud of you!"

Soos looked to the side bashfully. "You really think so?"

"Of course we do, Soos," I agreed happily. "Who else could do the job?"

Soos smiled, grateful for the compliments. "Heck, I'm glad to hear that..."

"And we're glad to say it!" Mabel grinned. "Soooo, do you know when our uncles are coming back?"

"Ehhh, they didn't say," Soos answered honestly, looking a bit uncertain. "They said they'd be back this summer, though..."

"Well, they'll have to be back soon, otherwise Mom'll be getting paranoid," I stated, chuckling to myself.

"Yeah, like UBER paranoid. Wonder who that rubbed off on." Mabel laughed.

I looked at her with a deadpan expression, then looked back up the stairs.

"Everything's as you dudes left it," he explained, smiling fondly at us. "Excluding the pig, of course."

"The pig?" Mabel's eyes increasingly grew wider and wider, shining with excitement. "WADDLES!"

She dashed up the stairs, not waiting for me, but... I didn't really mind. She wanted to see her friend again. See, there'd been an issue with the bus last time... It was only because of our uncles' 'persuasion' that we could take the pig on the bus. Obviously, we couldn't do that again, so someone else had to drop the pig off.

"Say, uh, it isn't out of the ordinary, but... Why's there a blue thing in Mr. Pine's chair?" Soos queried, looking confused.

"We found him outside," I told him grimly. "We don't know what's wrong with him... Woke up for a second, then he hit the sack again. There's no physical wounds on him either..."

"Weird. Well, I guess he'll explain himself when he gets up, right?" he asked optimistically.

I looked back to the entrance to the living room, then looked hopeful. "Yeah, maybe he will."

Because I couldn't seem to figure this out. I wish we still had the journals... they were ashes now after the fiasco last year.

"Boy, it'd be coincidental if he woke up right now, wouldn't it?" Soos laughed.

There was a silence.

The thing in the chair showed no signs of movement.

Soos frowned. "No?"

"Guess not," I responded, sighing. Wishful thinking... I'd really like answers... and fast.

"Oh, well. We can just, like, wait." Soos straightened his fez, and grabbed an eye patch from the table. So that's where it was... "Time to open up!"

"You need help?" I asked, smiling a bit. Mabel and I had to help uncle Stan sometimes...

"Sure, dude!"

"Waddles wants to help too!" a squeal sounded from the stairs. I turned my head to see Mabel at the top of the stairs, holding out the pig. "He is DESTINED to be useful! Not that he isn't already!"

"Er, not too sure how much he could do... I was a pig once..." Soos muttered awkwardly, but after another persistent chime from Mabel, he gave in. Waddles was useful. Very much so according to Mabel...

He was the sole reason we got out of Mabel-land fast enough...

"Yay!" Mabel grinned widely, setting down the pig and quickly descending the stairs, Waddles in pursuit. Mabel, ever eager, grabbed my wrist, and started dragging me towards the shop.

"M-Mabel!" I yelped, completely caught off guard.

"The Mystery Twins and Waddles are back again, and a go!"

Although my wrist hurt slightly, I couldn't help but smile.

And so that's how our summer started. A little more dramatic than when it happened the first time, but... yeah. We kinda liked that. It felt like Gravity Falls. It was Gravity Falls.

Somehow, I just knew more dramatic things were to come. And you know what? Me and Mabel were ready for them.

* * *

He moved slowly through the abstract landscape of purple, blue, and black, pace calm and unhurried. He halted as these surroundings swirled out of reality, vanishing into another plane of existence. This new world before him, dark and sinister, loomed over him, but he had no fear.

"Hmhmhmhm..." he contained his amusement in the form of an unearthed chuckle as he stared at all the chaos. Then, after a moment, this frame of mind vanished. Once again, he became focused, more determined on his route.

Buildings burned; people screamed; the sky was charred with red and black. He walked on, ignorant and disrespectful to these losses, those fools, and these... masterpieces of chaos. His limbs melted and reformed, oozing through and around obstacles with little difficulty.

He stared up at the bleak space above, watching the smoke smear the sky. His eyes focused on a pyramid, and, had he the correct body part, he would have smiled widely. Looking down, flicks of purple and white pierced his being, and he gave a slight purple glow. The world around him was nothing, and would continue to be nothing, as he made his way up to the Egyptian structure, floating like a billowing mushroom cloud.

After a mere moment, he had reached his destination. He settled on a gap in a wall, then scanned the room inside.

"..."

Remaining silent, he stayed there for two minutes, readying himself for entrance. And then... he did.

Dropping down into the shadows, his form dissolved into the murky shades of the pyramid, and slithered down a corridor.

He was a being certain of where he was going, and what he was doing.

Halting at a large room, he stared as his body built itself up again. His reptilian eyes focused on a figure, ever-glowing, seated on a throne of human statues. He had to admire the decor; it appealed to him in more ways than one...

The figure, triangle-shaped, was staring out of a window, a box of popcorn settled on his lap.

"Who knew flesh bags could make such a fuss?" the figure asked, then his tone grew maniacal... "Oh, yeah, I DID!" He let out a round of laughter.

His voice echoed, was distorted and whimsy, and most of all, it told the intruder exactly who he was.

"I mean, come ON; you guys had to have known I was coming right? No? Well, ain't that a shame! Hahahahahahahaha!" The figure's popcorn vanished, and he turned his form. "Say, who're you? Some useful prisoner that escaped?"

The intruder looked at him wryly. "A prisoner escaping from you..."

"I know, right? Shocking!" The being fathomed, tone humourous and exasperated. "But no one would do my job for me and come back unless they were REALLY dumb. So which is it, huh?"

"I'm no prisoner of yours," the intruder answered, watching the being with a cold expression. "I've come on other matters. From another dimension."

"Ohhhhh, wow! Are we actually long lost brothers? I mean, boy, we don't have mouthes! But you don't have the eye... We can fix that!" The being laughed, then settled his hands on the sides of his frame. "Say, you remember that ugly kid from Sonamb Lane? Yeah, me neither!"

The intruder sighed, his eyes watching the other's movements.

"You're quite unhinged."

"Yeaaaaah, I get that a lot; your point?" The being asked dismissively. "I mean, you're a walking freak show! It's an all-you-can-eat buffet of suffering and destruction! I doubt you having any problems around here, Mephiles!"

"...Bill Cipher," the demon began, eyeing him ominously. "There's something I must tell you regarding your future."


	3. Or Was It?

When we opened up the shack, it really felt like we were hitting the replay button—but in no way did I mind it.

Being here, again, working in the Mystery Shack—it was kinda… nostalgic. I dare say I missed it… We had a lot of… unique times in here.

The one off the top of my head would be Mabel running the establishment… Uncle Stan was going to go away for a 'vacation', as he decided to humour Mabel when she questioned his method in business. So… he and Mabel had a bet; whoever had earned the most money would win, whilst the loser would have to do whatever the winner wanted them to do. Mabel had the idea for an apology dance, and running the shack for the entire summer, while Stan had the idea of her wearing a 'Loser' shirt. That was Uncle Stan alright…

Mabel's method was… well, a bit nicer. At first, anyways… She eventually got tired of the majority slacking off when she'd taken charge. I got to show the townspeople some real monsters, not fake like most of the stuff in the tours… but they didn't believe in that sort of supernatural. It was… horrible. Two people kind of got sent to therapy.

Yeah.

B-but at least they saw something genuinely cool! Even if it was their… worst… nightmare…

… In the end, we won Uncle Stan by a dollar. Typical of him to lose probably the largest amount of profit he'd earned. Mabel didn't take over the shack after what she'd been through… but Uncle Stan did have to do several takes of an apology dance. Even after twenty-nine, it wasn't enough.

Armed with a brush, Mabel swept the floors, humming to herself as she ensured the floor was rid of dust and dirt from the outside. Waddles was just idly following her around… and I was pretty sure he was just making the mess she swept up.

I was dusting the corners of the room, shelves, and anything that could inherit cobwebs and dust. Overall, I'd have to say that the Mystery Shack had been tended to really well.

I smiled over my shoulder at Soos, who was directing another tour. The crowd seemed pretty eager to get the orientation started, so I guessed that tourists still loved this old stuff. Good for them…

"This way, dudes!" Soos called, leading the group to their first attraction. "Now, before we start, pay homage to our founder…"

 **"AHHHHH!"**

"…still scared of it, huh."

I chuckled to myself, grinning—I guessed that Uncle Stan's statue still wasn't massively appealing to the audience… thank goodness scares were the whole point of the tours.

Soos really took care of this place… for that, I admired him. He'd been through a lot, but he still pulled through. He usually always did… One time, Mabel and I gave him the wish of a lifetime, and he wasted it on us. He was a good person, even if he seemed a little awkward sometimes…

"Stupid…"

Blinking, I turned to see Mabel on the floor, scrubbing at something with a cloth.

"Mabel?"

"This stain is undefeatable! But Mabel shan't give in to the temptation of surrender!" she declared, pointing her finger at the ceiling, as if rebelling against the Gods themselves. "Waddles, the sponge!" She squinted. "Spikey-side."

"…Mabel, that's been there since last yea—"

"SPIKEY-SIDE!"

I cringed slightly, then sighed, shrugging. Sometimes, Mabel just wanted to do her own thing… she thought she was helping, so I'd best leave that thought at that. She could find out for herself.

"Excuse me, but do you sell chilidogs here?"

"…huh?" I turned my head, then started, "Uh, I don't…"

I paused mid-sentence. There was something about the asker that bugged me entirely… and that was probably the fact that they weren't human. She was tall, a little taller than me; I assumed she was female because of the eyelashes, red dress, boots, headband, and… hair? She looked like she'd been dragged through a bush; her clothes were stained with mud and the tuft of hair at the front of her head was ragged and almost out-of-place.

She immediately reminded me of the creature that we'd brought into the shack. Were… they maybe related?!

"…don't think so. Hi, how are you? My name's Dipper!" I shot a little too quickly, eager to ask questions.

"…oh…" The pink creature's green eyes looked at the ground sadly. There was a tone of longing in her voice, sorrowful and depressed. "…well, I'm sad _now_ …"

"Ah, er… I'm sorry. Maybe we could find somewhere that sells chilidogs?" I asked hopefully.

"No, no… I've already looked all over…" she mumbled, clearly disheartened.

I didn't really think someone could love a certain food that much… though I wasn't really certain our town sold that speciality.

"…hey… is something wrong?" I queried, looking at her with a confused expression. "Is it really the food?"

"I guess, in a way, it is… Y'see, he loves them… my boyfriend," she explained, looking up with half-lidded eyes and a frown. "But if there aren't any around… then he couldn't be here. He can travel to places in split seconds… and he really likes chilidogs, so…"

"…you're trying to use the chilidog gimmick to find him?" I finished, then sighed slightly. "Well… maybe there's a chance he doesn't just stick around just for the food…"

"It was just a starting point… Sometimes, he doesn't. A few years back, he explored the world, like Chun-nan and Spagonia…"

I'd never heard of these places… it sounded like a whole other world…

"…and we even had a date planned… we hardly get to have them nowadays, being so busy." The girl smiled fondly. "Always saving the world…"

"Yeah… wait, saving the world?"

I stared at her with a questionable expression. That kind of statement… she didn't look like the sort to go around, saving people and solving world crises. But then, neither were me and Mabel… I realized that this was about as ignorant as judging one of Uncle Stanford's journals by their cover.

"Yeah," she replied earnestly, smiling widely. "We save the world every now and then. But Sonic… He's so compassionate, Dipper; he really cares… he risks everything just for humanity… he's heroic… he's more than that… he's wonderful, he's fantastic, and he's dangerous to be with all at once. His adventures do get a little too hectic sometimes, but it's nothing we can't handle." She looked down, seeming reminiscent. "He's always had my back… everyone else's, too…"

With a description like that, I'd guess anyone would think that… This 'Sonic' really sounded like someone who would save the planet on a daily basis, but… but who was he, exactly? He sounded like such a strong and kind person to her… Maybe…

"What does he look like?"

"Oh… blue, hedgehog, spikey quills, red shoes—"

Instantly, I beamed widely.

"I know who you're looking for," I interrupted happily.

Her eyes widened, and suddenly they seemed bright and joyful. Hands clasped hopefully, the pink girl's mouth opened in delighted surprise, and she smiled ecstatically. "Really?!"

"Really," I asserted, mirroring her expression. "Hey, Mabel!"

"Sorry, Dipper! Someone else will have to help! I'm at war with this stain!" Mabel called over. I looked at her worriedly as she frantically scrubbed at the floor.

I looked back at the pink creature, just in time to see someone walking past her.

"Awww, what a cute costume!" a woman falsely complimented, tugging at the creature's ear.

The pink girl looked irritated, and seemed a lot more annoyed than what the action would call for.

"For the fiftieth time, this is NOT a costume!" she hissed under her breath, rubbing her ear with an expression of pain.

"…are you okay?"

"…I'm fine. You said you knew where Sonic was?" she asked impatiently, folding her arms.

"…This way," I responded quickly, wanting to avert away from her anger. She seemed like the type who bottled up rage until the last minute… and I didn't want to test what she did with that rage. I mean, she was supernatural and I knew next to nothing about her.

I led her towards the living room. I wouldn't be too long…

…or so I hoped.

* * *

"Oh, Sonic!" The pink hedgehog gasped, suddenly fretting over him the moment he was in her line of sight. "You poor thing! What happened?"

"…"

There was no answer… the guy was still knocked out, I guess… I felt kind of sad. His apparent girlfriend was here now, and he couldn't even see her.

"Sonic…" she trailed anxiously.

Suddenly, the pink hedgehog turned on me.

"…what happened?" she demanded, glaring at me fixedly. Her fists were tense at her side, and her eyes stared into mine. There was this strange, angry aura about her, and it wouldn't get weaker the longer I didn't answer.

My eyes widened, and I took a small step back.

This… wasn't really what I expected.

"I don't k-know…" I answered truthfully, trying to seem as sincere as possible.

"Are you sure?" she growled accusingly.

"Y-yeah, I swear!"

"No swearing, bro!" Mabel walked past the living room.

I looked at her with a deadpan expression, then back at my visitor with a nervous expression.

Turning away from Mabel, she squinted at me in disbelief, then, after a moment, her expression softened and she sighed slightly.

"I-I'm sorry for snapping… I'm just worried…" She frowned sadly. "You really don't have any idea?"

"No… he woke up for a few seconds, but then he went unconscious again. I'm as clueless as you." That was entirely true. By the sounds of it, she had no idea… and neither did I. What were we meant to do?

"This has never happened before…" she muttered sadly. She looked at the blue hedgehog in the seat, and frowned, seemingly heartbroken. "…c'mon, Sonic… wake up for us… please…"

"…"

"…Dipper… very rude of me, but I forgot to say," she began, straightening and looking at me. She gave a faint smile and held out her hand. "My name's Amy. Amy Rose."

I blinked at her hand, then smiled in response. I shook it. "Nice to meet you, Amy."

She nodded. "You too. I'm really glad you found Sonic… I can't imagine him out there, like this, all alone… and you're not one of those evil people that would exploit this opportunity… I appreciate it."

"Evil people…? Are these the bad guys you fight…?"

"One of them, yeah…" Amy responded, her expression serious. "The one I'd be concerned about is Dr. Eggman."

I stared at her blankly.

"…Dr… Eggman?" I bit back a chuckle, snickering at the name. Eggman…? What kind of name was that? Could you defeat him with a spoon? Did he appear on Easter?

"Yeah…" She blinked, then frowned at my expression. I was trying my best not to laugh, honestly. "…He turns cute little animals into mindless robots, and tries to take over the world and everyone in it."

"…are… you kidding?" I asked, looking confused. That was… quite a stretch from what I usually heard.

"No…"

She looked at Sonic.

"Which is why I'm glad my Sonic's here. Who knows what Eggman might have done with him if he'd found my hero…" she muttered. She looked down at her shoes. "…He's captured me once or twice," she added bitterly.

"Captured? Why?"

"To get to Sonic… I'm the typical damsel in distress…" she sounded annoyed with herself. "…One time… the entire world was at stake… Dr. Eggman was holding me hostage. He had… a gun to my head… he was threatening to end my life then and there."

My eyes widened at that. This Eggman guy seemed a lot more serious now…

She smiled at Sonic fondly.

"Sonic… didn't take his time in getting to me. Eggman demanded something sacred—and Sonic… well, Sonic gave it to him. Whether it was fake or not… Sonic came for me. He saved me… And then… he was thrown into space, out into the atmosphere…"

Amy looked down sorrowfully.

"We thought he'd died… but then…" The hope in her eyes rekindled. "He surprised us. He came back. He saved the world with this guy called Shadow…"

I noticed the tone of optimism in her voice and stature, and I couldn't help but smile at it.

"…so! I know he's going to come back!" Amy's fists clenched, and she gave a determined expression. "Because he has done before; he's done it a million times! Just when we think Sonic the Hedgehog might be on the edge of death, the end of the line, he isn't! He's just raring to prove us wrong, to show us how way past cool he is! My Sonic is strong, and my Sonic will pull out of this!"

I looked at her speechlessly. Man… she really did have faith in the guy… Honestly, it's usually lucky to have someone like that rooting for you… looking out for you… I was reminded of Mabel…

"Yeah… sounds like you're right."

"I _am_ right!" Amy chirped proudly.

"After much concentration and observation, I have concluded that sparkles did not fix the stain issue," Mabel stated tiredly, walking into the room with Waddles behind her. "Makes the floor look real pretty though!"

"Mabel, I don't know if Uncle Stan is going to like that…"

"It's down to Soos, isn't it?" Mabel asked, then grinned. "He actually praised it. Said it really attracted the townsfolk. Then… there was a group of people just staring at it. Watching glitter is cool, but after a while, it's kinda like watching paint dry… That's why I didn't understand they were sat there for so long."

Mabel blinked.

"Is… that another unicorn?!" she squeaked, smiling widely. "Aw, wow! This one's pink!"

"It's a hedgehog, Mabel…" I grumbled.

Amy looked at Mabel with a sheepish expression. "At least you don't think my skin is a costume…" she muttered. "Amy. Amy Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you… uh… Mabel?"

"Yeah… Mabel…" my sister trailed, looking at Amy in awe. She smiled widely. "Sooooo, is that your, um, boyfriend?"

"It is, actually!" Amy smiled brightly.

"I knew it! As a certified matchmaker, I knew you two were meant to be together! Pink and blue is the new black, Dipper! Take notes!"

"Why?" I asked, looking at Mabel with a perplexed expression.

"I'm going to dedicate my life to a novel! How to help simple people fall in love with other simple people! And vice versa!" Mabel grinned.

"…I wonder how long that's going to last." I smirked slightly.

"Eh, probably a week. Give it time," my sibling replied dismissively.

Amy giggled. "Well, if a matchmaker says it, then it has to be, right?"

"Yes! The matchmaker's word is law!" Mabel grinned. "…except when you want magic potions. At that point, you get past the law."

"I wish it was like that back home…" Amy smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, it isn't here. As a matchmaker, I'm allowed to make up rules of my own accord. Like, you two have to wear matching ear muffs to be a couple."

"What?! Why would you make that up?" Amy pouted.

"Spur of the moment! Don't take it THAT seriously."

Sometimes, you didn't need a soap opera. You just needed my sister.

Whilst the pair bickered to each other about matchmaking, and I stood awkwardly and watched them, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. My pupils moved, and I stared at the blue figure on the chair. For a split second, he moved, and I stared in surprise. After another few seconds, he fidgeted, slowly.

"Guys…" I began, gesturing to Sonic.

"Love is incredibly serious…"

"I know! That's why I'm going to write this novel! It'll have all the seriousness of the seriousness of a novel!"

 **"…TAILS!"**

There was a scream, a hoarse one, as the blue hedgehog shot upright in his seat.

Everyone turned to his direction, as did I, watching him.

His green eyes lacked life, were tired and exhausted, and more importantly, were lit with terror. Sonic glanced around with terrified wide eyes, breathing heavily, in and out, in and out…

After a few seconds, it seemed he realized he was in reality, and he hugged himself, shaky.

"…j-just a dream… j-just a dream…" he repeated, shivering.

"The blue unicorn woke up… but I feel sad…"

"Not a unicorn…"

"Sonic…?"

"…Amy…! You…" The blue hedgehog trailed off awkwardly, and looked down at his shoes in fear.

"…Sonic… are you okay?" Amy crept closer, frowning anxiously. "We've been worried. You haven't woken up for a while, apparently… and wouldn't…"

"A-Amy…" Sonic shook his head. "I saw something I want to forget… My dream… Tails was in it… I… it wasn't any ordinary dream… it felt… real… It was… a nightmare."


	4. 13-5-5-20-9-14-7

"Umm... Mr. McGucket, sir! Your breakfast is ready!"

I beamed happily as I poked my head through the door, carrying a tray full of buttered scones, toast, and a steaming cup of coffee. I'd etched a happy smiley-face onto the slice of toast with strawberry jam. Hehe. I was really sure he'd appreciate that!

There was a man stood at the other side of the room, looking down at a desk full of blueprints. This man reminded me very much of a friend of mine; he was really smart, even if he didn't look the part. But who said you had to look the part when it came to intelligence, huh? I was taught never to judge a book by its cover: you could miss some really important things if you did!

This man was taller than me, though admittedly, he was a little bit hunched. He hardly ever straightened, and especially so if he was focusing on something. I'm not sure if he hurt himself a lot, but he had several bandages about him. There was a massive cast on his arm, and wraps of bandages around the soles of his feet. He had this battered hat, and he wore a set of brown overalls that seemed a little… patched up. It really stood out in this big fancy place…

He ushered a hand in my direction, confirming that I could enter.

I smiled more widely in response, eyeing the tray in my hands and ensuring everything was correct, and in order. After a good confirmation that everything was A-Okay, I began walking in with the tray and being careful as not to tip anything.

"Okay, so, today, you have buttered scones-I think I did them really good today, so look forward to it, okay?" I gave him a warm, confident expression; I was really proud of my scones today! "Coffee, and... um... Oh, you'll really like what I did with your toast!"

After a couple of seconds, he stopped observing his blueprints. The man turned, his white beard swishing as he looked at me with a slightly guilty expression.

"Schmoodle-doodle, Cream, ah thought I told you not to do that..."

"Oh, please don't feel bad, sir!" I gently set the tray down on a free space on the table. I looked at him cheerily, bowing politely. "It's an honour, after all!"

Mr. McGucket looked at me with a still slightly-disapproving expression.

He still felt this way, long after I'd began residing here… But I honestly wanted to help him! It was only fair… But I wish that he wouldn't feel so bad about it… he deserves this…

"I want to help you!" I added brightly, closing my eyes happily. I opened them again, then stared at him with joyous brown eyes, my hands innocently behind my back as I rolled on my heels.

"Yeah, but ah don't want you to... Yer a little gal, not a butler..." my carer responded, straightening his hat and looking over his food. He inspected it quite thoroughly, though he made it apparent he was trying to do it discreetly. I guess that so much examination was a good thing… he hadn't commented on the actual food yet, so…

"Oh, I know… but I really can't think of any other way to repay you, Mr. McGucket!" I chimed, not minding doing this for him. "Besides… you need your strength too!"

He'd given me breakfast this morning, too, and he'd not had any! Mr. McGucket was always working... You should never work on an empty stomach... That's what my Momma always said. And Momma was always right!

"..." There was a very long silence, and he stared at me. That worried me... "Mr. McGucket?"

"...well, ain't this a darn-tooting good breakfast!" He grinned widely, looking back at the food. My hope rose, and the man broke out into a hearty-albeit slightly shaky-laugh, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Eheh..." I smiled sheepishly in response.

Sometimes, Mr. McGucket's personality was a bit... unique, but I still appreciated him for what he'd done for me... He was a good person... really smart too... Some of the things he made I couldn't really understand... though I wish I could. He always seemed quite proud of them, and a more well-versed bit of opinion seemed better than one that barely knew anything about it...

He seemed happy about my input anyways, though, so I don't feel _too_ bad...

Sometimes, though... I really felt like he needed that... Mr. McGucket... didn't have a family. I wasn't sure what happened to them, but... no one else lived there apart from him. Before I came... he must have been really lonely... He might even have still felt that way now... I didn't have the nerve to ask, and I hated to pry...

For a little while, I guess I'd been staring into space for too long, because the scones had already disappeared. All that remained on the plate now were a few crumbs, but... Mr. McGucket made sure to eat every last bit; the plate with the scones was clean... He was definitely hungry. It really was a good thing I brought him up breakfast, no matter how much he didn't like me doing that...

He gave a momentary glance to the toast, and then the tea. He sighed to himself, and slowly, Mr. McGucket turned to smile at me.

"That's a mighty fine smile you got there..." he told me warmly.

My face lit up like a lamp, and I beamed in return. "Yup! I made it as carefully as I could!"

"Eh... I praise yer effort... But ya' know, you don't need to plaster it all over a piece a' bread!"

"Huh...?"

I looked at him in confusion, then tilted my head, putting a questionable index finger to my lips. What did he mean...?

Had I done something wrong?!

Was I wasting jam? Was that not a nice thing to do? Did he not like jam...?

I quickly took back that last question; it's silly... I mean, he'd been having it for a while, and not complained... unless... his taste buds changed...? Momma said that sometimes, people who hated something, could like something ages later, and vice-versa! But it'd only been a couple of days... So...

What was wrong?

The concept was making me a little nervous, but I was certain my friend would clear it up...

"Because you got it yerself," Mr. McGucket told me with a crooked grin.

My eyes widened slightly at this, and I couldn't be any happier at that response. Though, admittedly... I did feel a _little_ embarassed...

"Th-thank you, Mr. McGucket!" I thanked him bashfully. "But... um... just... to make sure... you... DO like the jam... right?"

"Ah do, ah do, and you're welcome." He turned away from me, once again focusing on the pieces of paper on the table. "I'll get to 'em in a minute, Cream..."

I nodded in acknowledgement, and then I turned around, about to walk out of the room and leave him to his important work. After a second, I hesitated, and then looked over at Mr. McGucket with big, curious eyes.

I faced his direction again, and walked over to the desk, slowly, peeking at his blueprints. They seemed really complicated... they had pictures of a... um... I didn't know how to describe it... But I was definitely sure that there was a plunger in one of them... He seemed to be contemplating something deeply, so I wasn't sure if he was aware of my presence or not...

"Matter transporter," he grumbled, probaby to solve my confusion.

Even so, I still didn't really understand...

"Um... what's that... sir?"

"Moves things, all willy nilly. Objects, people... maybe even places..." His tone seemed a bit adventurous, but a little frustrated at the same time. "Last one needs a ton of power though..."

"But... why would people want to move places, Mr. McGucket?" I asked curiously. Why would he need it...? To save towns from battles...?

"Heh. That's a toughie," he replied with a shrug, his tone a little humourous. "All I know is, with the right doo-das, this could make a real good transporter..."

"Heheh... I bet," I agreed, smiling at him proudly. "You're really good at this, Mr. McGucket. You remind me of my friend, Tails..."

"Tails? That kid from your world?"

"Yup!" I walked to the big window across from the desk, pressing my hands against it and looking at the sky in awe. "He flies this really cool plane... somersaults and everything... Sometimes, he even dives through the clouds... and he invents stuff, just like you!"

There was a moment of quietness, and I was about to question why when my friend replied after consideration.

"Sounds a swell fella."

I turned around to see him focused on the blueprints again... but there was something I spotted and heard that I disliked.

"Mr. McGucket?"

"'Am sorry."

Mr. McGucket's tone sounded really guilty... he was frowning deeply, then, he looked at me with sincere eyes.

"Huh...?"

"If ah could get ya' home, I would... not that I don't value your company or nuthin, but..." He trailed off uneasily.

"..."

Oh... that...

I was quiet as I looked at him with a mirrored expression, and then looked down at the floor, anxiously clasping my hands.

Mr. McGucket... he was... really good at what he did, but... when I asked about maybe building something to help us... he seemed really reluctant. He wanted to, but... he said he didn't want to interfere with our dimensions... Or any dimensions 'anymore'...

I didn't know what he meant... Had he messed with them before...?

But... I respected his answer... No one could force him to do anything... and if Mr. McGucket thought it was unsafe, then I just had to trust him. And... really, I did trust him!

"It's okay, Mr. McGucket. I'm... perfectly fine with that..."

He glanced at me sadly.

He knew I wasn't... not completely, anyways...

I'd told him all about Momma. About my world. My friends. Cheese. Amy...

He knew how much they meant to me, and... I think that's why... he feels so glum now...

But... even though I do miss my world... my family and friends...

I could wait. I was patient. I would get home... someday. And maybe... Mr. McGucket would be the one to help me... when dimensions wouldn't be so dangerous to tinker with...

"Really, Mr. McGucket! You've no need to worry!" I put on a brave smile to give him reassurance, and briefly, I think it cheered him up a little bit...

"Ah know I don't, Cream, but... family's important. I understand that, and so do you..."

He seemed to be recalling something, but didn't speak of it.

"Told two kids and some fella that once..."

"Well, that's good; that kinda advice is really important!"

"Mhm..."

Mr. McGucket was now digging into his toast, and at that, I was immediately eager for feedback.

"Mmmm! That's some good toast!"

"Ehehe..."

Looking on this whole scenario... it made me realize how lucky I was to be taken in by someone like this... sure... people... might find him a little... unique. But at heart... He's a really good person...

* * *

Blackness... That's all I could see at first. It was unnerving... it was scary... I didn't know how... how to respond to it... It was so sudden, so quick... One second, I had been home, asleep in my bed, and the next... I wasn't so sure...

All I remember was something obscure grabbing me... and... then...

Air was abruptly rushing against me as I felt weightless; I was falling through something... something dark and faintly-lit with a purple hue... It felt like forever... it felt like it was never going to stop...

Then... it did.

I hit solid ground, and the world around me vanished into nothingness, replaced with dark greens and browns. I couldn't see clearly, as my vision was tainted, as if a cloud of charcoal was blurring my vision, but after a couple of seconds, that hinderance was no more...

I was in a clearing, under a cluster of trees... they looked so tall and scary in the dark-I was frightened... I didn't move. I just stayed where I was, hugging my legs and glancing around, trying to take in this whole situation. Because, for the life in me, I couldn't.

It was cold... I hugged myself tighter, burying my head into my lap, closing my eyes. Shivering, I gave a tiny glance upwards, hesitant and afraid.

I took a small, deep, brave breath... and decided to call out.

"Hello?"

My voice barely echoed; it was a tiny whimper and I'd have been really surprised if anyone had heard that. It was like a drop of rain, tiny on its own, but coupled with more effort, more raindrops, louder and more noticeable...

"Ch-Cheese?" I called gently, swallowing and glancing around anxiously.

Something rustled in the bushes, and I tensed up visibly. My senses heightened, and I focused squarely on the movement in the bushes. Fear froze me, fear of the unknown... A small creature... that seemed... a little humanoid... rushed from one place to another, shrouded as a silhouette.

I stared with a fixated, frightened gaze and looked at the night sky above. All I could see were small cracks of light through the mass array of tree branches. The moon was hidden behind the trees' branches, which meant little light for me...

"Cheese!" I called again, louder and more desperate.

My friend... my friend wasn't with me... he wasn't... so... where... where was he?!

I was immensely worried, and frozen in fear. None of my friends were here... and I had no idea where I was...

I sniffed and shuffled against a rough tree trunk, my hug on my legs tight, hiding my face from the outside world. This... scenario... it was horrible... I thought... maybe... the best thing to do was to try and sleep... The sun would be up later... right...?

That was my only hope... but it wasn't the best one... It wasn't one I could commit to...

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep at all. All I could think about was the monsters, the dark, my family, my friends...

I sniffled and soon enough, I felt dampness under my eyes. I didn't recognize this at first-I just kept... staring, staring at nothing... I blinked, and wiped them, but the tears only worsened. The worst thing was... that I couldn't cry out. If I cried out... something scary might have found me...

I sobbed silently, but... I couldn't be so silent... I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself, trying to make myself brave... I had to be brave... I had to be so, _so_ brave...

But it just didn't work...

"Ch-Cheese!" I gave a louder yelp, progressively raising my broken voice, "Momma!" It soon drifted into a whine as I gave up, "Amy..."

A breeze shifted past my being, and I shuddered in response. But... that wasn't the only thing that portrayed visual movement of the plants and trees...

There was a shadow, strange in shape... I wasn't sure how to describe it... I couldn't make it out, not entirely; the moon wasn't bright enough to catch such a shadow, but... I saw something... I could promise that I did!

"What the curoodle?"

"...?!"

My head whirled suddenly to see feet on the ground, feet in front of me.

I looked up slowly with big, terrified eyes. There was a figure stood in front of me; this strange figure was postured stangely, carrying strange things, looking down at me, eyeing me... but... a light was placed where the both of us could be seen, and...

That's how I met Mr. McGucket.

That was also where I first saw Billford...


	5. 19-20-21-16-9-4 11-9-4

It was night time. The space above was a deep, dark, lovely blue. The stars were sparkling in the sky, and the moon was full and radiant. I admired its brilliance from my window, and couldn't help but think how pretty it looked... It was so much less scary when you were in a safe and warm home... even if that wasn't the full criteria...

Mostly, though, I couldn't help feel like I'd seen those same stars before... It felt so much like home. I guess, whatever the dimension, stars were always the most beautiful part of the night. That made me happy, in a way... It really helped stop my homesickness a little...

I was sat on the windowsill, dressed in a long, green nightgown. Mr. McGucket found it somewhere... so... he gave it to me for when I went to sleep. It felt really nice; really smooth... and I'm guessing that was because it was expensive...

I watched the sky for a little while, but eventually, I felt tired, and decided it was time to go to sleep. Momma told me not to stay up late, anyway... That's how you got bags under your eyes! Rubbing my eyes, I was about to turn away from the window, until I briefly spotted something move on my wall.

"...Hello?"

After hearing no response, I stared blankly, not certain what I saw, but sure that they were gone now after a quick check... It might have just been my eyes playing tricks on me, but I swear I saw something...

The bedroom was dark, faintly lit by a lamp on the bedside table. There were really pretty patterns littered around the room; it was nicely decorated, and there was even a four-poster bed. The room had a deep red theme, though not too excessive. A wardrobe was stood in the corner, and I remember looking inside for a whole other world, like in the fairy tales Momma often told me before bed. There wasn't one though, sadly...

I climbed into bed, wrapping myself up before lying down.

I stared at the ceiling, gaze solemn and almost vacant.

I was used to being tucked in... and I didn't want to ask Mr. McGucket... so I had to do it myself. Momma definitely did it better, though... There weren't any stories before bed, either, so it was a little harder to sleep... And... Cheese...

I was so used Cheese sleeping next to me. He wasn't here... the nights that I'd slept here, I felt alone... but I had to get used to it, until everything went back to normal.

Back to normal... I wondered what I'd meant by that thought... Saying goodbye to Mr. McGucket, going back to my world... Is that what normal was? If so, I felt just a little bit bad about it... Mr. McGucket had done so much for me, and I needed to repay him with more than just cooked breakfasts... even if those were difficult sometimes...

I thought and thought for a couple of minutes, biting my lip in deep concentration, but this concentration subsided after a few minutes. I couldn't think of anything... I guessed by that point that it was time to sleep. I could think more clearly in the morning...

Hiding under the covers, I curled up into a ball, hugging the pillow which had been my only object of real affection since I started staying here. I closed my eyes, trying to get comfortable as I did.

I'd see my family again soon... My friends too... I just had to hope, I just had to believe...

And maybe, just maybe, it'd come true...

* * *

Fantasy, fairy tales, my friends and family... I saw them all in my dreams. They felt so close to me, so themselves, so... real. Nothing that happened was real, of course, but it really felt like it sometimes.

My dreams were bright and colourful, and I saw my favourite people all the time. I played tea party with Amy, I baked apple pies with Momma, and I'd let Cheese win at checkers. I went on grand adventures, big ones, that were so exciting and so thrilling that I dearly wished they were real. It was kind of sad they ended so quickly, though...

This one was really different. Time didn't pass as quickly, and everything was... well... grey.

I was in a meadow; this was the same meadow that was outside of my house back in my world. I always picked flowers here... mostly daffodils, and would give them to Momma. The flowers were really bright and pretty, but here... they had no colour. It was like someone had stolen it. That was really saddening...

I looked around, frowning and looking for anyone I knew, but... I was alone. No one was here. It was just me.

Everything was quiet. No birds were singing, and everything was frozen. It was like a picture, stuck in time.

I wondered what was going on, and just when this would end... One of my favourite places was a shadow of its former self...

Then, I froze. I heard a noise. A whistling noise. It was nothing like a bird, nothing like an animal, nothing like the wind... It was a noise made by someone, someone who wasn't me.

"...hello?" I inevitably repeated, voice timid and shaky because of this new environment.

"Heard ya' the first time, kid."

"...!"

This voice wasn't one I recognised. It was... echo-y. Not in the normal way. This voice was a stranger. I didn't know this person. I couldn't know this person...

But where was this person? I couldn't see them anywhere...

Something clicked as I glanced around.

'First time...'

That struck me with a feeling of the familiar; when had I...

I said hello when I was awake. When I was in my room. After I saw that moving thing. Then...

"Not bad!"

"Eeep!" I yelped and jumped back in fear and shock.

One of the flowers in front of me bloomed, unravelling its petals, its middle part revealing a single eye, staring at me.

I stared with wide eyes, which grew even wider when something rose from the flower, triangular in shape and having the only bit of colour I could see in this place apart from myself. This... shape... it was bright yellow, and it had a black little bow-tie and top hat. Its arms and legs were of the same colour. It only had one eye, and it looked like something the Egyptians might have built...

"Those suckers? Built me? Hahaha! Nah, no way; I'm my own guy."

"...how..." I frowned, still slightly scared of this creature. "How do you...?"

"Know what you're thinking?"

I stiffened visibly as this person shifted behind me, his one eye scanning me.

"Eh, down my alley, kid," he responded vaguely with a wave of his hand. He floated away from me, hands nonchalantly behind his back. His fingers clicked, and a cane suddenly materialised out of thin air.

I blinked in confusion, and put on an expression of worry. I wasn't sure who this was... But the fact he could tell what I was thinking was... scary... I mean... my thoughts were my own. They expressed how I felt, what I was thinking about... I felt really uneasy about someone else knowing about them, even more so a stranger...

"Who are you?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat. I shuffled back a little, quite insecure.

Mr. Triangle noticed this, and spun his cane in his hand, waving his other hand in a dismissive fashion.

"Relax, kid; I'm not here to hurt you," he told me, rolling his eye.

I couldn't exactly help it...

"Name's Billford," he introduced, tipping his hat. The world suddenly tilted a little, and I let out a terrified squeak as I almost fell down. He leaned forward on his cane. "And you: I know who you are, rabbit, but go ahead and introduce yourself anyways. It'd be rude not to!"

"O-oh!" I recomposed myself, dusted off my dress, and bowed quickly, ashamed that I hadn't done so earlier. "I'm Cream! It's a pleasure to m-meet you!"

I couldn't help but hope I was right about that... I didn't know if I'd regret that later...

"And you, kid," Billford replied, moving to take off his hat again.

Instinctively, I hugged a nearby tree, wanting to keep my bearings this time. It was scary earlier...

The triangle tipped his hat, and I flinched immediately, shutting my eyes and preparing for the worst.

But this time, nothing happened.

Opening one eye, I turned to see him looking at me with a perplexed expression.

"You're a _tree hugger_? Well, isn't THAT surprising!" his tone was dramatic and humourous, and he settled his hands on the sides of his frame, looking down at me with a curious expression.

For a second, the bottom part of his eye lifted, but that almost felt like my own eyes were playing tricks on me.

I pulled away from the tree awkwardly, twiddling my fingers.

"Well..."

"Don't sweat it, kid! Now, before anything else, let me just say, you got quite a good karma metre! You're a good little kid!" He leaned forward on his cane, then asked before I could respond, "Am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

I looked at the ground quietly, unsure of how to answer but looking a little bashful. "Well... I try to be..."

"Try? Man, with all the stuff you do," he began, and suddenly, a long scroll appeared, rolling across the meadow; it was very long, "you're practically acing it, kid!"

I didn't say anything to him, but watched the list in quiet awe. Not only did it appear just as he said that, but... I couldn't ever believe I'd done all those things... big or small...

Some of them were that I...

 _*Helped Blaze open up to people._

 _*Taught Emerl about emotions._

 _*Helped Team Rose._

 _*Helped save the world!_

 _*Helped Momma with the garden._

That wasn't even the beginning...

"I... really just try..." I replied earnestly, then tilted my head slightly. "Why did you bring that up, Mr. Billford?"

"Please, kid, I don't need the honorifics," he stated, waving his hand dismissively. I frowned in response at that; I always addressed people in that way... I felt it was rude otherwise... "But as for why... well, y'see, Cream; I'm in a bit of trouble."

"Bit of trouble?" I repeated in confusion. I didn't know if I could help with that...

"You've seen me out and about, right? Yep, that was me!" he exclaimed, examining his hand casually. "Good ol' Billford, skulking around... well." As he paused, I blinked, and his tone grew frustrated. "That's the issue."

"The issue...?" I asked, a tiny bit timid; the term 'skulking' didn't really imply anything positive either... but he might not have meant it to come across like that; he seemed very... humorous. I know I hadn't laughed at anything yet, but... there was something about his personality...

"I didn't used to be _just_ a shadow, kid-I was a first class host!" he sounded very proud, mighty almost...

But I didn't understand his meaning.

"...First class host...?" My tone didn't hide its bafflement, and it tipped him off quickly.

"I used to be out there, living in the real world with you kids!" he expressed, gesturing out his arms to the sky. Narrowing his eye slightly, he faced away from me, his hands behind his back. "I would host the best parties, that even the people UPSTAIRS would be _jealous_ of!"

"Parties...?" I tilted my head. My uneducated eyes, seeing the vision of something I loved and cherished every year, had grown wide with glee. "You mean like... birthday parties?"

"Not just those, kid-parties for the heck of it!" Billford elaborated, turning around with the bottom of his eye lifting. I guessed that meant he was happy... without a mouth, it seemed a little hard to tell what was on his mind... "And once, I had a party so big, it ALMOST went world-wide!"

He seemed a little bit more excited as he said that, and honestly, I felt a little of that too... Just this talk of these cool parties made me realize how much I liked them.

However... my ears drooped slightly when his eyelid lowered in a mood akin to depression.

"Almost... some stupid party-crashers ruined it."

Billford looked sad, but, for most part, annoyed... His body seemed to be changing colour to that effect, dulling to a grim, dark red. He rubbed his eye out of vexation, seemingly bothered by it...

I could definitely see why...

I frowned sadly, and then looked down, empathetic.

"That's... horrible, Billford..."

To have your pride and joy ruined, after so much planning, after you'd been so eager to get the ball rolling... that was horrible... I couldn't relate to it greatly, but I still pitied him...

I felt so bad for him...

"Ehhh, not your fault," Billford responded, his tone a little lighter now. I looked up to see that he was once again his bright shade of yellow. "But the point is, Cream... maybe you could help me!"

"Help you...?" I asked curiously, tilting my head. I certainly perked at the opportunity, but I wasn't too sure how I could help him...

"Being stuck here... in the dreamscape, which is essentially the scariest thing known to man and creature alike-the unconscious _mind_... here, I'm nothing. Being stuck here, of all places, isn't the best of places to be stuck, Cream. I finally had a chance to show the world how awesome my parties could be, but then I wound up back here... a ghost. A nobody. A memory. Do you know how infuriating that is to a guy? Very!"

"B-Billford, I don't know how I can help with that..." I emphasized my confusion with a guilty expression.

"But _I_ do!" His tone of voice was chirpy, almost that of a proud know-it-all, and very firm.

"How...?" I pressed him gently, curious about even that.

"You see, what I need is something with lots of energy... something that could help me get my good ol' physical me back..." His eye was closed, seemingly thoughtful. He looked like he was concentrating, and I was too, trying to find some train of thought... "Doesn't matter too much what it is; I can adjust!"

"...Oh...!"

Billford grabbed a light-bulb from the top of my head, and I blinked at him blankly as he did so. I wondered where it came from, but he asked another question.

"Oh? What's that?" he queried, leaning in slightly.

I looked down, avoiding looking at him, wanting to think through my answer...

"...well... from my world... where I came from... we... have these... Chaos Emeralds..."

"Chaos Emeralds? Oh, boy, I love the name already-what's the scoop, kid?" Billford seemed extremely eager to hear what I had to say... a little _too_ eager, but at that point, I understood why he was so excited...

"Well... they're really powerful, especially when you get all seven!" I informed him, my confidence rising a little. Then, it sunk just as my gaze did. "But..."

"But what, Cream?"

"...I don't know if they're in this world right now..." I confessed honestly.

"Well... it's possible, kid," Billford told me optimistically, then shrugged dismissively. "It wouldn't hurt to look!"

There was a moment of silence.

"...Ughhh, but I'm useless in here..." he muttered.

My ears pricked at that, and, after a couple of seconds, I raised my hand slowly and timidly.

"I... could go look for you!" I offered, although wondered if Mr. McGucket would mind that... I usually stayed in the house... I hadn't ever been to town...

"...You would, kid?" he asked. He sounded very surprised, but that tone drifted to that of happiness. "Then it's settled!"

 _So instantly...?_

I swallowed slightly. I _did_ volunteer... but he seemed very straightforward about it... almost... routine...

Deciding to be positive, I put on a slight smile to lift the unease, and nodded.

"Okay! I'll look for the Chaos Emeralds for you, Billford! I'll help you get your body back!" I affirmed, putting on a determined expression. I smiled a bit. "And maybe after, we could have a party too!"

"Heh. Maybe, kid," Billford replied with good humor, then blinked, looking around. "Welp, you're waking up!"

"Wh...huh...?" I blinked, glancing around. The world was becoming more and more obscure than before...

"You're asleep, kid; you're gonna' wake up any second!" he informed. I almost forgot about that... almost... "So, I'll make this quick."

Billford pocketed his cane, and spoke quickly.

"I need those Chaos whatever things, but you know that! Just keep me out of your conversations, alright, kid?"

"But... why?" I asked, looking at him and tilting my head.

"Because, where you're helping me, there are likely a few guys out there that won't want that! They're the party-crashers!"

I frowned immediately. I couldn't even talk to Mr. McGucket about this...?

"So I can't..."

"No one, kid. Trust no one."

I gulped slightly.

"O-okay..."

"Now, if that's all-!"

"Wait! ...Will... will I see you again, Billford...?" I asked, tilting my head with an uncertain expression.

"Of course, kid! Just say the word!" He tipped his hat. "I'll be dropping by to check up on you, anyway!"

"Oh, okay, well..." I nodded, anxious about the whole ordeal, "See you later, Billford..."

"Bye, kid!" He waved, and he positioned himself in posture that seemed very similar to his own shape. "And remember! Reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buygold, BYYEEEE!"

 **FLASH!**

* * *

"...Eeeep!"

I shot up in my bed, looking around immediately and breathing quietly but quickly.

Everything was in colour... I was in my bed... I could see properly again...

I'd woken up... definitely...

I looked to my window, and I could see the sun shining through, its rays crossing the floors of my room.

I looked down at my duvet with a confused expression.

Had that really happened...? Had I been talking to a triangle...? Really...?

Staring at my fidgeting hands, I looked even more perplexed.

"...why do I need to buy gold?"


	6. 15-2-19-20-1-3-12-5

My footsteps echoed along the staircase as I descended it, reverberating across the house and making my consciousness known to anyone or anything nearby. I furthered my progress as I reached the very bottom, and made my way towards the kitchen, dressed and ready for the day. All of this occurred at seven'o'clock.

Last night was... odd. Or was that this morning? Ever since I'd woken up, I'd been pondering it. Who that triangle really was, why those people crashed his party, who those people actually were... I felt a little uneasy, but... at the same time, I had faith in what he was telling me. The thought of others treating him unfairly was another thing that angered me, what drove me to do what I was doing. Someone should never be treated in such a way based on their appearance... So I was going to make sure I didn't treat my new friend like that. I was going to have an open mind; I was going to help him... because he sounded like he really needed it.

Whatever the case, I had to set about finding a Chaos Emerald for Billford...

I frowned slightly to myself as I wondered, as I opened the door to the kitchen; it opened without hesitation, and I stepped inside swiftly, planning to set to work. I opened yet another door, and this was to the fridge; I peered around, then noticed a row of eggs in a rack. I bit my lip, musing over that and the jam jar to the side. I grew thoughtful, trying to decide what to make Mr. McGucket for breakfast...

"Cream?"

"...!"

I turned around quickly, soon seeing the man himself before me; he was still dressed in his clothes from the day before... or maybe his choice in clothing made it look that way. I could never really tell the difference...

Mr. McGucket glanced over my shoulder as I stared at him briefly, and his expression was slightly sad and disapproving. He didn't like me making him breakfast... We'd had this discussion yesterday, so it was obviously still fresh in his mind.

"Up early today," he mused, looking down at me with an expression that was displaying forced happiness. I looked down, feeling slightly guilty he was still fretting over me. "I'll make meself breakfast today, alright, Cream? I'll make yers too."

"Oh, but I wouldn't want to...!" I was about to object, but the sincerity on his face stopped me; I sighed softly and gave a nod, a small smile following after that. "...okay, then, Mr. McGucket."

He nodded in response, in acknowledgment.

I stepped aside and watched as the man reached in and took out the jar of jam. I shifted myself to the drawer containing the cutlery, glancing for anything Mr. McGucket might need. I picked up a butter knife, putting it on a counter near him. Turning my head, I saw him grabbing a loaf of bread and putting... well, one too many slices into the toaster...

"Mr. McGucket!" I exclaimed as I rushed over, glancing at him worriedly as he stuffed the extra slice of bread into the slot. He'd stopped when I called him, and looked down at me with a confused expression. "You're only meant to put one slice in those slots each..." I muttered hesitantly.

"...oh. Fancy that," he replied in a slightly mournful tone. I looked at him with pity as he took out the extra slice; I didn't know what to say apart from...

"It's okay. You'll get it next time!"

"Yeah..." he murmured awkwardly. He turned the toaster on, and then waited patiently. We stood silently as the toast did its job. As we did, I thought about last night, and then...

"Oh, Mr. McGucket! Last night, I..." I paused and froze, remembering what Billford had said to me. He'd told me not to talk about him... but... was Mr. McGucket one of those party crashers? He was really nice...

But he'd heard the start of my sentence anyway, and furrowed his eyebrows at how I'd suddenly stopped. He looked... anxious. I couldn't describe it.

"...you what?" he asked, worry evident in his tone.

I tried to think of an excuse quickly; one that wasn't a lie.

"...I saw the full moon! You should've seen it! It looked so pretty, and so much... like... home's!"

"Ah, yeah, that was comin' around," McGucket replied with a smile, seeming relieved. Maybe he thought a burglar got in or something... "I think I saw it a couple o' times in the study."

"How long were you up...?" I tilted my head, curious. What time DID he go to bed?

"Not too long, Cream," he told me with a smile.

There was a noise, and we both jumped... then realised it was the toaster.

Mr. McGucket set about getting out the toast, setting it on two plates and taking them over to the counter I'd placed the butter knife. He grabbed the jar and... struggled with it. I watched him for a couple of seconds with a pitying expression, before walking over to help him. I managed to get the lid off in fifteen seconds or so.

Eventually, we both got breakfast. We sat at the dining table this time, and I'd helped make some tea to go with our jam on toast. We had a lot of toast, so I didn't make scones today...

I sipped my tea happily, pinky out, as I sat across from my carer. We didn't sit at the ends of the table; that would've been too far away to talk. As Mr. McGucket continued with his breakfast, I paused after swallowing some of the toast.

"Mr. McGucket?"

He glanced up, acknowledging me immediately.

"Can I... go out today?"

"Huh?"

"To town?"

He looked, for the lack of a better word, surprised at my request. I wasn't as surprised at that though: I'd been sticking to the exteriors and interiors of this house ever since I came here.

"Well..." He looked thoughtful, conflicted, even. "A'd say yes as quick as a fiddle, Cream, but..."

"I'll be good! Really!" I pleaded quickly, clasping my hands.

"...It's jus' I don't know how the local folk'll respond," he explained, looking at me with a concerned face. I didn't understand... was it because I wasn't from this world? "...although... We have a bunch of odd waggedy doos in this here town, so it couldn't do no harm..."

"So I can go?" I asked excitedly.

"Well, can't keep ya' cooped up in here," he replied good-naturedly. He gave me a grin. "Jus' make sure you're comin' with me and not all on your lonesome. Can't lose ya'."

My eyes lit up slightly, but it was that moment I realised if he saw me searching around, he'd get suspicious...

This was the only way I was getting into town, though... And... I'd never sneak away from the house on my own; Mr. McGucket would be worried sick! I wouldn't dare do that...

I nodded happily, regardless, accepting of these terms. I had to do something...

* * *

The wait had been really long. We didn't leave until the clock struck seventeen minutes past one. I'd been keenly waiting at the door, patient and ready to go. I think Mr. McGucket found this funny a little... He smiled at me as soon as he unlocked the door, and even more so when I raced out onto the courtyard. I'd spent a lot of time in the gardens; they were really pretty and big... though I hadn't seen anyone gardening in them yet...

Standing patiently at the gate, I looked at the path down to town, excited for the journey ahead. It might not have seemed like much at home, but this was a new place with new people... so it was only natural I was raring for the day! Plus, I had the chance to help Billford! Even the smallest amount of good helped tons, right?

I turned my head to see Mr. McGucket approaching, and we eagerly set off.

The hill was a little steep, but we'd followed the path as carefully as we could. I stared in awe at the surrounding scenery: the trees, the plants, the animals, and the buildings. Outside of the mansion, the woodland was almost even prettier in its natural environment. The rays of light cracking through the trees shed a luminous light that made the opacity of the leaves stand out permanently.

"So, Cream... Any particular reason ye wanted to go out now?" Mr. McGucket suddenly asked, a friendly smile on his face. This was a smile that said I could tell him anything...

But I knew very well that I couldn't!

I paused, thinking of how I would phrase it.

"...nothing too particular," I answered, my expression lit with happiness to avoid suspicion. "I just decided I wanted to see what the rest of your world was like! If it's pretty and nice like mine..."

I realised I might have been coming off in a fashion that this was a contest between worlds, and immediately reconciled.

"...and it is!" I finished, ultimately sheepish and hoping this reason was plausible.

"Ah, awright then," Mr. McGucket replied, then focused on the road. "Sounded like something real specific."

At that, I hid my nervous smile, and we both continued down the hill until we reached the base of it.

"Where to first, Mr. McGucket?"

"Groweries," he responded, looking down at a list he'd withdrawn from his pocket.

"I think you mean groceries..." I corrected impishly.

"What 'ave I been writing down?" He looked confused, and scratched his head.

I chuckled sheepishly, then looked to the side, giving a small smile. Inwardly, though, I was worried. Sometimes, Mr. McGucket did... strange things. Strange things that made me sad... but it was usually his other aspects that stopped me from worrying...

Eventually, we'd reached the streets, and I lurked behind Mr. McGucket as I looked around at all the people around me. He seemed relatively calm, but inwardly, I somehow felt he was worried for me as he looked around. His gaze hid that anxiety, as he portrayed it as nothing short of casual, and continued on towards the grocery store.

To pass the time, and the overwhelming sense that maybe I didn't belong in this landscape, I thought about all the nature we'd passed as we'd trekked into the city. It was interesting, and made me feel quite nostalgic. Gravity Falls, from what my friend told me, was a really pretty place... and the pine trees everywhere were only the tip of the ice berg.

"Here we are!" Mr. McGucket grinned, then his expression dropped at what appeared to be a queue leading inside, a rather messy one at that. "Goshdarnnit, I woulda' thought it wouldn't have been busy today! Sorry about that, kiddo..."

Glancing down at me, he offered an apologetic smile but I just shook my head and returned it. "It's okay. I'm really patient. Besides, I want to take in the outside a little more anyways!"

"Ah suppose," he responded sheepishly, then glanced at the shuffling crowd. "Stay close though, okay? Don't wanna' lose ya' in this kerfuffle!"

I nodded, then blinked at the crowd started increasing. It increased so much that it almost swallowed us whole!

People were saying things, but since it was so jumbled together and loud, I couldn't really make it out underneath them all.

"Wh-what's going on...?!" I yelped, barely grabbing onto Mr. McGucket's hand before it could slip away into the sea of people.

"Ah don't know - darn crazy town! Wait fer yer dogs, folks!" he yelled, flailing his other fist in the air. We both stumbled about, and it didn't help the crowd was far taller than either of us... "What in tarnation is going on?!"

"Something's in there!" a woman's voice called, and my ears pricked.

Something? Or... someone...? If it was out of the ordinary for this place, then maybe...

"It's making a right mess, it is!" another man called.

"What're you folk even doing?" my friend asked incredulously, blinking at the crowd.

"We're tourists! What do _you_ think?!"

"Well..."

 _ **...whooosh...**_

Suddenly, the crowd yelped as a strong gust of wind passed them, blowing away some hats and ruffling material. I stiffened slightly, finding this abrupt strange breeze familiar - at least, in some aspect...

"...Mr. Sonic...?" I whispered in pleasant surprise, trying to look through the gaps in the crowd in quiet awe. I noted a figure running up the street, turning right, into an alleyway... it looked familiar to me! Like, really, really familiar!

It must have been Mr. Sonic. Mr. Sonic must have come to rescue me! And... that meant... I wasn't alone... he could... take me back to Momma...

My guilty gaze moved back to Mr. McGucket, who was trying to see through the crowd, to see what was going on.

"Mr. McGucket...!"

"Hang on, Cream, I'll get us through here...!" he struggled, trying to get past the clutter of people around him.

"Bu-but, I think I just saw my friend!" I stammered, trying to glance back through the mass amount of people.

Glancing back at me, he had a worried expression as I barely saw him through the chaos. "Your friend...?"

"I-I'll be back! I promise!" I stammered, giving a meek wave and then turning, stumbling over other people's feet and making my way towards the alley.

"C-Cream! Be care..." Mr. McGucket's voice was drowned out by the noise as I sped away, skidding to a stop at the alleyway that I had seen movement.

I felt bad for leaving him... but if a friend of mine was here... if Mr. Sonic was here, I didn't want to miss them! I'd head straight back to Mr. McGucket after!

I hoped...

Inwardly, I felt worried - what if it wasn't a friend? What if it was Metal Sonic, or just a really fast bad guy?

Stood in the middle of the alley, I looked on with a hesitant expression and swallowed. I wasn't sure...

"...as I thought. This is nothing like my world..." a voice murmured - it sounded like a girl... and I felt I recognized it from somewhere... "...nor his world either. Regardless, something still feels... similar..."

I heard light footsteps as I saw the shadow of the mysterious person turn around, seeming to be contemplating something. There was an exceptionally long pause, until I heard something that made me sure that it was a friend and not an enemy...

"...I hope Cream is all right."

"...I-I am! I'm here!" I squeaked, stumbling into the alley.

Entering the small street and turning, I blinked as I saw a purple cat turning around defensively. Her eyes narrowed at me, then widened in surprise.

"C-Cream?"

"Blaze!"

* * *

 **Heyup, people~ Rare author's note from me...**

 **It has been a while. XD Finally got around to updating this. :D**

 **Although, I will be going back and editing previous chapters, since I've gotten and read Journal 3 now. Hopefully these changes will make the story funner and more exciting. :3**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story, and if not, well... I'm sorry. XD**

 **Ta~**

 **-Toxic : )**


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